More than one third of dentists use AI in practice, study says

More than one third of dentists are using artificial intelligence in their practice, according to research. 

A new study shows that 35% of dentists have implemented AI in their dental practice while 77% of dentists reported positive results after applying it.

In July 2023, Dentaly.org conducted a survey of 1,265 licensed dentists and patients, focusing on its future merits and risks.

Other key findings include:

• 62% of surveyed dentists agreed that some of the operational tasks in dental clinics could be performed by AI
• 55% believe that the advancements in AI could result in potential layoffs in the dental care industry in the next five years
• ‘Lack of human interaction during treatment’ is the biggest fear for 72% of patients about integrating AI in dentistry
• Only 10% of surveyed patients would pay more for AI-based dental care or diagnosis.**

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Benefits of AI

The dentists citing improvements post-AI incorporation emphasise the efficiency that comes with the technology. Specifically, practitioners list the following five areas as the top-ranking benefits of implementing AI in dentistry:

• Faster and more efficient workflows – 76%
• Predictive analytics for patient outcomes – 48%
• Improved accuracy in diagnosis – 40%
• Enhanced treatment planning – 35%
• Personalised treatment options – 20%.

Positive outlook

When asked about the likelihood of adopting AI technologies into their practice, it appears that the majority of dentists are open to adopting additional AI technologies within the next five years.

A significant portion (47%) expressed being somewhat likely to adopt these technologies. On the other hand, a relatively small percentage of practices (14%) indicated that they are somewhat unlikely to adopt AI technologies in the coming years.

None of the respondents perceived it as very unlikely to adopt AI technologies.

Overall, the results suggest a positive outlook for the integration of AI technologies in the dental field in the near future.

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